The Impact of State Government

Higher education in Germany is decentralized and mainly under control for the states of the Federal Republic of Germany. Decentralization made the harmonization of higher education very difficult in many cases in the past.

Today things change - and the barriers shink.

The autonomyof the individual universites is much higher than years ago. In North Rhine Westfalia the is a Hochschulfreiheitsgesetz that gives universities more autonomy.

Universities develop strategies, structures, concepts, ... on their own - and with a world market of higher education and growing competition - especially when the population will shrink in the years to come.

Internationalization breaks the barriors among the staes in Germany and among the state universities.

Politicans, ministers, ... stimulate internationalization, innovation, ... that can only be done when we go beyond the borders.